Review: This is Japanese Iki! and Rakugo!
Katsumi Sakakura and Katsura Sunshine
Sweet Grassmarket until August 28th
[usr 3]
As evident with the exclamation points, both This is Japanese Iki! and Rakugo! are going to be punchy performances. Featuring Katsura Sunshine in both shows, he presents his solo show Rakugo!, which he explains is a traditional Japanese form of storytelling featuring one actor who turns his head in different directions to portray different characters, and ends the story with a punchline.
Katsumi Sakakura, the originator of a dance form that combines karate, hip hop and multimedia projector, forms the other half of This is Japanese Iki!, also known as Guilty Noodle. In this performance, Sakakura and Sunshine combine humour with martial arts in a film that is three minutes long, because that is the time it takes to boil water for instant noodles.
With only the use of a fan and handkerchief as props to tell his stories, Sunshine’s sense of humour in both shows manages to extract laughter and face palms simultaneously, which encapsulates the comedy in the art of Rakugo. Sakakura, in opposition, displays fine physicality and serious business when he battles obstacles in the form of video projections like blizzards and boulders.
Both presented in English, This is Japanese Iki! and Rakugo! go hand in hand, and make a fun afternoon double dip into Japanese theatre at the Fringe. Lucky audience members also get to try out Sakakura’s new dance style onstage.
Recent Comments